First Touch ’26 - Saudi Arabia

They shocked the world by toppling Messi’s Argentina in 2022; now Saudi Arabia is trying to prove that was no one-off. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass tells the story of the Green Falcons—from the early days of English sailors kicking a ball around the Gulf, through Asian Cup dominance and a magical 1994 run in the United States, to years of stop-start progress on the global stage. We break down the seismic 2–1 win over Argentina in Qatar, the national holiday that followed, and how that moment supercharged Saudi ambitions on and off the pitch. With Herve Renard back in charge, a high-pressing, physically demanding 4-2-3-1, and a squad drawn almost entirely from an increasingly star-studded Saudi Pro League, the Falcons head into 2026 as fascinating dark horses. Keep an eye on creative midfielder Musab Al-Juwayr, the league’s young player of the season, as the country builds momentum toward hosting the World Cup in 2034.